Danbatta stated this on Thursday, September 19, 2019, during a courtesy visit to the Commission by delegates from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
Represented by Abraham Oshadami, NCC’s Head of Information Technology, Danbatta said “Our mandates are clear. It is to drive digital access and we are open to supporting any digital initiatives that will help us deliver on our mandates.”
Earlier, Josiah Ajiboye, Chief Executive, TRCN, who led the delegation, stated that the objective of the visit was to “solicit digital assistance and partnership with the NCC for the teaching association in Nigeria,” saying that the major mandate of TRCN is to regulate and control the teaching profession at all levels of the Nigerian education system, both in the public and private sectors.
Ajiboye, while noting that lack of access to adequate digital tools and necessary technology are a major challenge for Nigerian teachers, affirmed that “driving digital innovation and literary training requires massive support and there is no better agency for this support than the telecoms regulator which has the mandate to deepen digital transformation in the country.”
According to him, “For any country to develop, education is very necessary and students cannot develop above the level of the teachers’ digital literacy. Hence, it is very important for all teachers to be computer-literate and then pass the digital knowledge to their students.”
Meanwhile, Danbatta has told the team from TRCN that the Commission has introduced many initiatives and remains committed to providing tools for the utilisation of ICT in teaching, research and learning.
“One of such initiatives is the Advanced Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI), which is aimed at bridging the digital gaps that exists in academia by providing computers, other ICT equipment and the necessary facilities to equip lecturers, staff and students with the requisite ICT skills essential for the 21st Century.”
The TRCN team was assured that its request would be reviewed and forwarded to NCC management for consideration.